I Need Help | Information for Houstonians Affected by Harvey

City Council Authorizes Home Repair Program For Harvey Survivors-While the effects of Hurricane Harvey’s devastation continue to reverberate throughout the city, significant help is on the way for residents who have been approved for FEMA assistance. City Council today accepted an allocation of up to $424.5 million in FEMA funds for direct housing assistance and approved an interlocal agreement with the Texas General Land Office (GLO), which is administering the funds at the state level. Locally, the city’s Housing and Community Development Department (HCDD) will play a lead role in implementing the housing assistance programs, the first of which will be FEMA’s Direct Assistance for Limited Home Repair (DALHR) program. During Wednesday’s council session Mayor Turner stressed his desire to focus on housing needs, noting the significant shortage of resources. HCDD Director Tom McCasland echoed these sentiments and sense of urgency saying, “My team will be working through the holidays to ensure we have hammers swinging (on the …

Utility Assistance For Harvey Survivors-Following Harvey, as they work to rebuild, some Houston residents may have a hard time paying basic bills such as utilities. BakerRipley administers a state program in the Houston area that helps with utility bills. BakerRipley Utility Assistance Program BakerRipley's Utility Assistance Program helps families and individuals in Harris County with the payment of their electricity and gas bills. If you are interested in applying for assistance, please contact the United Way of Greater Houston’s Helpline (2-1-1 or 877-541-7905) or please fill out a form at bakerripley.org. For additional assistance, and to be connected with other non-profits working to help Houston rebound, call Texas 2-1-1. For Fort Bend County Residents For Houston Residents who live in Fort Bend County, utility assistance may be available from the Fort Bend County Health & Human services Department. Certain qualifications must be met and you must make an appointment to register for the program. …

Call 2-1-1 Texas for Assistance in the Recovery-2-1-1 Texas, operated locally by the United Way of Greater Houston, connects Texans with information on social services and disaster-related information. Following Harvey, 211 will be the primary mechanism for connecting affected residents with recovery services. Visit 211texas.org to connect with services or call 2-1-1 (877-541-7905) to speak with an operator about your individual needs.

Mayor Turner Announces Partnership with Workforce Solutions to put Houstonians to Work on Infrastructure Repairs-HOUSTON- Mayor Sylvester Turner and Mike Temple, executive director of Workforce Solutions-Gulf Coast, announced a major hiring initiative today that aims to place Houstonians who lost their job due to Hurricane Harvey into jobs repairing city-owned infrastructure damaged by the storm. “As Houston continues to recover after Hurricane Harvey, I am pleased to announce this partnership with Workforce Solutions. We aim to employ nearly 400 Houstonians through this initiative.” said Mayor Sylvester Turner. “Through employment not only will we assist individuals who were affected by the storm, but this will also help stimulate the economy. As Houstonians work, they are able to repair their homes and meet the needs of their families.” “Workforce Solutions is recruiting and certifying eligible candidates for approximately 400 jobs repairing city buildings, parks, and other facilities that sustained storm damage,” said Mike Temple. “Hurricane Harvey was an unprecedented catastrophic event that disrupted all of our …

Durable Medical Equipment and Assitive Technology Replacement-Impacted by Harvey and Need Durable Medical Equipment (DME) or Assistive Technology (AT)? Information provided by the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) Organizations working with individuals who need durable medical equipment (DME)/assistive technology (AT) or if you have DME/AT to offer, please sign your organization up in Portlight's Portal to receive/donate equipment: http://documents.portlight.org/disaster-relief/login.php. Individuals who need DME, manual wheelchairs, walkers, canes, catheters, or diapers can pick these up from the West Gray Multiservice Center at 1475 West Gray, Houston, TX 77019. Items will be distributed 10:00 am to 4:00 pm through September 30th. Resources for specific durable medical equipment and assistive technology needs due to Harvey: Need a communication device (AAC/SGD)? Make a request though United States Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (USSACC) https://harveyaac.recovers.org/ (log-in required) Need your power wheelchair fixed or replaced? Call the power chair hotline provided by Pride Mobility and Quantum Rehab at (800) 800-4258. Need medical supplies? If you are the …

Unusually High Water Bills-The City of Houston and Houston Public Works take seriously the fact that some properties affected by flooding have received unusually high water bills. There are approximately 5,000 customer accounts that have water bills that are twice as much (or more) than the previous billing cycle. The mayor is working with City Council and Houston Public Works to better understand how this happened and how to correct it. WHAT YOU CAN DO Contact Customer Account Services at 713-371-1400 or on the High Water Bill Hotline at 832-394-BILL (2455) Eligible accounts will be placed on hold. Penalties will not accrue and accounts will not be disconnected.

FEMA Fact Sheet: Immediate Disaster Case Management Available to Texas Hurricane Survivors-Survivors can receive free guidance from disaster case managers on how best to recover from Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath, along with ways to access a variety of available resources, including disaster unemployment and disaster legal assistance. They may simply call the Disaster Case Management Hotline at 855-742-5989 (press 2 for Spanish). A case manager will respond within 24 hours. Other helpful resource telephone numbers for Texas survivors are: the Disaster Distress Helpline at 800-985-5990; Disaster Legal Services Texas at 800-504-7030; and Disaster Unemployment Assistance at 800-939-6631. Disaster case managers connect survivors to available resources, provide assistance with initial disaster registration or appeals, and assist in developing a personalized disaster recovery plan. They assess verified unmet needs; help create goal-oriented plans outlining what steps need to be taken to recover; bring together information and services; and monitor progress to reach goals. Disaster case managers work in remaining shelters and State …

Report Debris Using the 311 Mobile App or Website-The City of Houston’s Solid Waste Management Department is working diligently throughout the city picking up Harvey storm debris. To assist with Harvey debris collection efforts, the City asks that citizens report storm debris to 311. The City DOES NOT use 311 call volume to prioritize storm debris removal. Residents should only make one report per address; multiple reports to 311 WILL NOT be accepted and will not speed or prioritize debris collection. The City will only use 311 data for debris collection planning and FEMA documentation. How to Report to 311 – USE the 311 APP or Website for faster service To avoid long wait times, residents are STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to use the Houston 311 mobile app (iTunes / Google Play Store) or click on the Report Harvey Debris button on the City of Houston’s website or the 311 website. 311’s call center is experiencing higher than average …

Getting Disaster Help From SBA-WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW SBA offers federal low-interest disaster loans to businesses of all sizes, most private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters. Businesses of any size may borrow up to $2 million to repair/replace disaster property damage. Small businesses, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private nonprofit organizations may also borrow to help meet disaster caused working capital needs. The $2 million maximum applies to the combination of property damage and working capital loans. If you are a homeowner or renter, FEMA may refer you to SBA. SBA disaster loans are the primary source of money to pay for repair or replacement costs not fully covered by insurance or other compensation. Homeowners may borrow up to $200,000 to repair or replace their primary residence. Homeowners and renters may borrow up to $40,000 to replace personal property, including vehicles. WHAT YOU NEED TO DO Register with FEMA at www.disasterassistance.gov. …

Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP)-Texas survivors may be eligible for disaster food relief from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Households not eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (commonly called food stamps) may qualify for D-SNAP. The Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program offers short-term food assistance benefits to families recovering from a disaster. D-SNAP is designed to help when people return to their homes and have access to electricity and grocery stores. Benefits are loaded on a Lone Star Card within three days of applying, and the amount is equal to two months of the maximum amount of SNAP benefits, based on household size. There is a limited period of time to apply for D-SNAP, based on your county of residence. To be eligible, you must: Be from a county that has been declared a federal disaster area*. Have experienced a loss of income, destruction of your home or a disaster-related expense, such as …

FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers in Houston Area-Disaster recovery centers offer in-person support to individuals and businesses in 39 counties included in the Texas federal disaster declaration for Hurricane Harvey and the subsequent floods. Recovery specialists from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), the State and other agencies will be at the centers to talk about assistance and to help anyone who needs guidance in filing an application. The new centers are at the following locations: Select your County Austin County W.E. Hill Community Center 1000 Main Street Sealy, Texas 77474 Hours | Thursday - Saturday: 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Sunday: Closed Brazoria County Brazoria County East Annex 1524 E. Mulberry Street Angleton, TX 77515 Hours | Monday - Saturday 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. Sunday: 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Pearland School District 2341 N Galveston Road Pearland, TX 77581 Hours | Monday - Saturday: 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 …

Disaster Unemployment Assistance from the Texas Workforce Commission-Update (9/21/2017) AUSTIN –The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) today announced that the deadline has been extended to October 31, 2017 for individuals filing for Disaster Unemployment Assistance in all 39 counties declared in Presidential Disaster Declaration FEMA 4332-DR. This deadline extension will allow affected individuals, who may be eligible but have not yet applied, with additional time to apply for disaster unemployment assistance. TWC is accepting applications for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) from individuals whose employment or self-employment was impacted by Hurricane Harvey. Applications from individuals who live in, work in, or travel through these counties must be submitted by October 31, 2017. TWC’s website contains more information about Disaster Unemployment Assistance. The following counties are included in the disaster declaration and amendments: Aransas, Austin County, Bastrop, Bee, Brazoria, Calhoun, Chambers, Colorado, DeWitt, Fayette, Fort Bend, Galveston, Goliad, Gonzales, Hardin, Harris, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Karnes, Kleberg, Lavaca, Lee, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Newton, …

Emotional Support After Harvey-This has been an incredibly difficult time for many of us. We've lost homes, livelihoods, cherished possessions. We're all in similar situations, and it can be tough to deal with. If you're needing someone to talk to, to help you navigate the emotions associated with this disaster, contact the Disaster Distress Helpline. The Disaster Distress Helpline, 1-800-985-5990, is a 24/7, 365-day-a--year, national hotline dedicated to providing immediate crisis counseling for people who are experiencing emotional distress related to any natural or human-caused disaster. This toll-free, multilingual, and confidential crisis support service is available to all residents in the United States and its territories. Stress, anxiety, and other depression-like symptoms are common reactions after a disaster. Call 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746 to connect with a trained crisis counselor. Helping Children Cope with the After-Effects of a Hurricane The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (nctsn.org) has published some helpful guides for …

Getting Help with Clean Up-There are a variety of faith-based and non-profit groups helping Houstonians clean up. You can call 3-1-1 (713.837.0311) and ask for help cleaning up, the City will share your information with local non-profits who are engaged in the process of helping Houston recover. Additionally, non-profit agencies across Houston are using a tool called CrisisCleanup, which helps create a map of damaged homes and allows organizations to "adopt" properties that need help cleaning up. If you would like your information included on the map, please call: 844-965-1386

I Need Assistance with Food-The City is partnering with the Houston Food Bank to connect affected residents with their services. With over 600 partner agencies across the region, the Houston Food Bank has access to nutritious foods in your neighborhood. To confidentially find the nearest provider, call: 832-369-9390 or visit houstonfoodbank.org.

First Things First | Documenting Your Damage-First Things First Document Your Damage As you begin the recovery process, and start looking to file claims with your insurance company, it's important that you adequately document your damage. Whether or not you think your insurance will cover it, you should have an adequate accounting of what was lost. Do this by taking photos and video of your damaged property. If you have suffered structural damage to your home, report it to Houston 311 by calling 3-1-1 (713.837.0311), or submitting a report at houston311.org. Filing Your Claim with FEMA As part of the President's Disaster Declaration for the Houston area, Houstonians may be eligible for disaster assistance from the federal government. Apply online at disasterassistance.gov or call 1-800-621-3362 (FEMA). When you apply, be prepared to provide: Social Security Number: You will be asked to provide your social security number; if you do not have a social security number, your household …

Guide to Disaster Assistance Services for Houston’s Immigrant Community-The Department of Neighborhoods Mayor’s Office of New Americans and Immigrant Communities (ONAIC) is here to offer special support to our immigrant community. We realize the unique challenges that this community faces in the wake of the Harvey disaster. We want to acknowledge the work of our nonprofit community partners for the critical role they are playing as our city recovers. These nonprofit organizations and service agencies have been on the front line delivering services to those in need of emergency assistance. They have also collaborated with ONAIC, the Mayor’s Office of Public Safety and the Office of Emergency Management to put together this comprehensive resource guide (soon to be available as an app), which provides detailed information about the types of federal, state and local disaster recovery services available. While some of the resources listed are restricted to individuals or households with lawful immigration status, many services …

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Houston 3-1-1, the City’s Help & Information line connects Houstonians with City services. Wait times may be higher due to increased demand. Access help and information through the 311 App or at houston311.org